Northwestern University in Qatar is expected to move to its new permanent building early next semester Everette E. Dennis, dean of NU-Q, confirmed to The Daily Q.

While the exact date for the move-in has not been specified, it is expected that classes will resume in the new building in spring.

In an email last month, Charles Whitney, associate dean of academic affairs, informed faculty and staff members of the university to return early from winter break in order to prepare for the transition and get settled into their new offices.

“This fall our team that involves facilities, IT, HSSE, production, and other key stakeholders are coordinating plans for the move concurrent with check-offs on such issues as safety and security, structural matters and various finishes, among other concerns,” Dennis wrote in an email to The Daily Q. He added that NU-Q will also appoint a building transition task force consisting of administration, faculty and staff members, as well as a student.

NU-Q first opened in 2008, offering classes at Texas A&M at Qatar building, before moving to the third floor of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, where it is currently located.

The new state-of-the-art building is located between Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar and the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. It features a full-scale auditorium, cinema, bigger library, projected newsroom, a media wall and other facilities particularly designed for a media school.

“It will be one of the largest and most advanced facilities for media, communication [and] journalism school in the world,” Dennis wrote.

Not all aspects and facilities of the new building are expected to be operational in the spring. The present studio building, located next to Ceremonial Court parking, will continue to be used for its production purposes and is anticipated to move in fall 2017.

Dennis said that NU-Q’s new building is important for the university’s growth, as it will better accommodate its growing student body, faculty and staff. “It is a creative platform that will allow for innovations in instruction and research,” he added.

Check some photos of the new building The Daily Q took in November 2015 during a tour of the building:

Tour photos taken by Shakeeb Asrar.

Correction: September 20, 2016
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that NU-Q has been located in the CMU-Q building since its opening in 2008. NU-Q was located in TAMUQ building before moving to CMU-Q.